It Shouldn't Even be an Option
by ohmyfreakkk
Summary: To choose between selfish and selfless acts are easier said than done when affection and happiness is involved. Do you convince someone to stay, keeping the one you care about the most close to you, in exchange for unhappiness for both of you? Or do you let them go, and give yourselves time to heal from your own problems? / contains post break-up Spitfire and unrequited Traught


**Title:** It Shouldn't Even be an Option  
**Pairings:** Mainly Traught(unrequited) with Spitfire(post break-up)  
**Summary:** To choose between selfish and selfless acts are easier said than done when affection and happiness is involved. Do you convince someone to stay, keeping the one you care about the most close to you, in exchange for unhappiness for both of you? Or do you let them go, and give yourselves time to heal from your own problems?  
**Word Count:** 833 words  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea(and *coughpersonalexperiencecough *)

—

"I'm leaving."

Batman has always taught me to stay alert, expect the unexpected, and always be on your toes, since the beginning of my training as Robin. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I never saw this coming.

"What?" I responded a bit numbly, the absolute confusion rolling along that single word. And I hated myself for it.

"I'm leaving," Artemis repeated monotonously, "I want to try living a normal life."

The implications sunk in slowly, unsurely. Artemis wanted to leave The Team. I tore my eyes away from her seated figure and looked out the familiar Gotham skyline. All kinds of emotions wanted to spill out of me, and as much as I wanted to fight it, I didn't as well.

"Are you sure it's about that?" I tried to stop the words from my mouth, but I couldn't, "This is about Wally, isn't it?"

_Silence_

Anger started to consume me as we both stared out the dark sky, side by side on the grimy rooftop floor. I tried to keep my emotions in check, afraid of what else might come out of my own mouth. Afraid of what I might say which can only end in regrets. I understood why she wanted to leave, so much it hurt to be against it, but that didn't mean I wanted her to.

We relished in the strangely still-comfortable silence, before I decided to break it and turned to face her.

"Why are you telling me", I asked.

And she understood what I meant, if the small twitch on the side of her mouth was any indication. That was the best part of what she and I had. We understood each other even if it made no sense to other people.

She sighed and hugged her knees closer, fighting a shiver in the cold night air.

"You mean apart from you understand me the most?" she gave a hollow laugh that made my stomach clench uncomfortably.

"For crying out loud, we're the only humans in this team. You know why I want to do this. Why I want to break away from this life at this stage of my life. You're going through the same things I do, and I really admire how you've stayed strong throughout. But I guess it's because you're used to it."

I watched her as she talked. There was so much seriousness in her voice and in her eyes, I almost felt sorry for feeling against her decision. She was right, I knew.

"I know we're not close to the point that we tell each other what's happening in our lives on a regular basis," her eyes softening just the teeniest bit, "but I wanted to let you know this before I made it official. I should at least give the people who'll feel my absence the most, a heads up."

She turned and smiled at me—how can a smile look so sad—and I saw the waves of emotions in her eyes, clashing against each other in an attempt to overpower one another. My heart clenched with the thought of how much pain she was going through. I knew that feeling, but I was lucky enough to have gotten stronger with controlling it.

Artemis was strong. Hell, if the bruising on his hip from their last spar session was any indication, she could be stronger than me, even. But physical strength is completely different from emotional strength. It's selfish of me to want her to stick around, just because I didn't want to be alone. And there's absolutely nothing I could say to make her feel better right now.

I couldn't tell her I'd always be there for her. I couldn't tell her she has me even if Wally had left. _I couldn't tell her I need her here._

Artemis loves Wally. And I'm sure this fact wasn't about to change anytime soon, if her decision to leave was any proof of that. And I love her. But I know her staying, would only bring sadness.

If happiness and love conflicted, what weighs more?

Do you convince someone to stay, keeping the one you care about the most close to you, in exchange for unhappiness for both of you? Or do you let them go, and give yourselves time to heal from your own problems?

How could something look so easy to choose from, be harder to act on? It shouldn't even have been an option from the start.

I knew what I had to tell her.

"Are you sure, Artemis?"

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she nodded and my heart practically swelled. I've never admired a woman so much before.

I grabbed her hands, and fought the urge to hug her when I felt them shake slightly against my own. She turned back to me and I gave her the most encouraging smile I could muster.

"Good, because you know I want nothing more than for you to be happy with your own decisions."


End file.
